pickel fork

[fogged]

pickel fork bolt will not come out. I need to replace the cv shaft and cant get that bioch :madflip: off. any ideas? And yes i have read the how to.

[2oodoor]

take the nut off??


:eek:
hey try heat and impact on the side it a little
also put the nut on a few threads so you can tap it but not too hard as to damage any threads, at the same time hit it on the side to give it a little shock thearpy.
Also you can try impacting the bolt left and right not just left to loosen it, (after the nut is off of course)

[fogged]

I put heat to it and tried my impact gun and it wont give.

[Oldblueaccord]

You ll have to grind it out(bolt) and remove the LCA and fix the mess. Maybe a air hammer would do the job in car but the rubber bushing takes all the shock out of it. Any way its meatball surgery.

On the quick I have seen online LCA with the bushings for like 60$ or under.


wp

[fogged]

never thought of the bushing eating up all the impact. Ill have to grind it out. I have to have the car on the road in the am.

[Oldblueaccord]

Yeah its like getting a bolt out of a bushing in a leaf spring its hopeless. You can sledge hammer it all day but the spring/bushing takes all the shock. Fire is your friend in that one.


wp

[fogged]

yeah i had planed to do the UCA, LCA, and CV shaft today. I got the driver side done in under an hour. The passenger side is giving me hell. When this is done the whole front end is new.

[2oodoor]

It isn't going to unscrew out of the sleeve with the impact, the impact is just to get it lose. The bolt itself is a jam pin sort of, it has teeth that get corroded. It is supposed to pull out yes but not unscrew out.

[russiankid]

When you install the new bolt, put a small layer of anti-seize on it. I do that every time I take it apart and I have not had it stuck yet.

[Strugglebucket]

In the shop manual it says to grease that bolt before assembly.

You might be able to push it out with a puller or one of those balljoint removers if you can find a way to position it.

[Pico]

It's a pain when they seize up like that. I had the same problem and ended up using a Air Chisel, Grinder, and a Sawzall to get the bolt out.
Just go slow and take your time, I got pissed and messed up my lower arm when I did mine

[cubert]

Along with the previous tips, lots of swearing helps as well :lol:

[2drSE-i]

Along with the previous tips, lots of swearing helps as well :lol:

I've noticed the opposite. It is very effective to sweet talk a bolt out

:kekeke:

[2oodoor]

I've noticed the opposite. It is very effective to sweet talk a bolt out

:kekeke:

tough love:squint:

[fogged]

First off thanx for all the tips!

I knew that it didnt unscrew, I was in hope that my impact gun would break it loose. Then I could slide it out. That was a lost hope. I ended up cutting the bolt out so I could drop the arm. Then I Used my puller to push the bolt out and (not wanted)the whole bushing assembly.
After getting this done and then new parts everything put back together. It took a total of 4 hours. Go my team.
Moral of it all. Do the work yourself. I had a shop do it last time, and it was rusted together. Thanx alot.

[markmdz89hatch]

SHIT! I saw this too late. I, much like everyone else here, had the same problems with mine.

What I ended up doing is something that seems all sorts of wrong, but it's always worked for me.

If the nut comes off the bolt, but the bolt is seized, here's the deal...

Loosen the nut, but don't take it off. Grab the biggest, most baddest-ass breaker bar you got, and give the head of the bolt a crank. The GOAL is to snap the head off the bolt (works everytime). Hose the decapitated bolt down with PB blaster, as well as the end of the bolt (nut-side).

Now grab a deep socket, a breaker bar, and a handfull of thick steel washers (that can fit over the end of the bolt). Take the nut off, put on a few washers (but make sure you have enough bolt left to be able to fully thread the nut so the bolt is at least flush with the end of the nut), then start cranking away at it. Tighten that fukr down, and keep cranking.

What you're actually doing is pulling the bolt out of the bushing, and the fork is keeping the bushing from pulling out. Keep a close eye on how many turns you're getting out of it because you don't want to bottom out on the end of the threaded portion of the bolt.

When you get enough turns out of it, back the nut off, add more washers, then get back on cranking. After 3-5 times of backing it off and adding more washers, that shitty bolt will walk all the way out. Then just hit up Honda for a new bolt and nut.

Like russian says, glob that bastard up with never-seize and from now on it'll be a breeze to remove.

I know it's late news, but hopefully someone will search and find this thread before they start cutting, burning, etc.

[Tdurr]

^^sticky that info!

[markmdz89hatch]

working on another diagram now. my last one fell into the black hole formerly known as imagestation.

[fogged]

^^sticky that info!

thats what I said it could save us all time and cash. I love the shit out of the :confused: how to's. Im glad to see that your going to do a wright up on this. :rockon:

[Keachman1]

markmdz89hatch, you are da man. That's pure genius. I screwed with mine for hours trying not to mess up the fork or bushing before I finally got it out. This would have taken 5 minutes and 4 bucks.

[88Accord-DX]

If I remember right. I had the same problem & just busted loose the upper ball joint & was able to pull the steering knuckle out of the way just enough to get the shaft out of the transaxle & remove the cv axle. It's been a while, but also I think I had busted loose the lower ball joint. One side seemed to work without busting loose the lower ball joint, but the other side didn't have enough clearance. Been a while, but it worked. sticky that! lol

[LX-incredible]

If I remember right. I had the same problem & just busted loose the upper ball joint & was able to pull the steering knuckle out of the way just enough to get the shaft out of the transaxle & remove the cv axle. It's been a while, but also I think I had busted loose the lower ball joint. One side seemed to work without busting loose the lower ball joint, but the other side didn't have enough clearance. Been a while, but it worked. sticky that! lol

Unless you disassembled the axle, you removed the fork bolt.



Good work Mark, I can't believe I didn't think of that! I guess that's just how it goes when spoiled with air tools. Awesome!

[88Accord-DX]

Unless you disassembled the axle, you removed the fork bolt.
Whatever dude, sometimes you have to think outside the box & do what it takes. I did it & it worked...
Take it or leave it, you have pull the steering knuckle out of the way & the shaft will come out. Like I said, one side has enough clearance, but the other seemed like it doesn't, been a long phucking time since I done it. Been there done that.

[LX-incredible]

Let's have a write up then.

I've removed quite a few axles on these cars and finally decided it is easier and less costly to replace the outer boot and joint instead. If you've found a way to fit a 3 1/2" outer joint through a 2 1/2" hole, enlighten us.

[88Accord-DX]

Let me re-phrase that, the steering knuckle will need to be pulled, which requires removing the outer tie tod end, the lower ball joint & upper ball joint. Then the CV axle will come out.


I was able to pull one side out without pulling the steering knuckle it seems, first by breaking loose the upper ball joint. You have to pull the steering knuckle back to get it to come out of the transaxle .. Then I was able to slide the axle back the other way. After that I then pulled the CV axle out of the steering knuckle. I then pulled the steering knuckle back to get the axle to slide going outward without taking the steering knuckle loose from the lower ball joint. It was a tight fit, but seemed to work for me. Like I said, it's been a while, but that is all I can remember. If that don't work, you will have to pull the lower ball joint out & outer tie rod end to remove the steering knuckle to slide the CV axle out.

Hope that makes some kind of sense, cause it's late with this time change.

[markmdz89hatch]

ok guys, I'm sorry I'm almost a year late on the promise of this little diagram, but here you go:

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm178/mark_mdz/3G/diagrams/forkbolt_color-1.jpg

Fig.1:
Stock setup, fully assembled

Fig.2:
Bolt head snapped off, nut removed, 3 washers added, nut replaced

Fig.3:
Nut has been tightened down and bolt is starting to pull through (do not tighten to the end of the threaded section of the bolt)

Fig.4:
Nut removed, lots more washers added, and nut tightened again. Bolt is continuing to pull through the assembly.

Not pictured:
Remove nut again, add more washers, and continue to tighten until the bolt pulls completely through. Then get a new bolt (nut should also be replaced) and slop the inside of the busing with never-seize. Also liberally coat new bolt with never-seize before re-assembling.


Any questions?

[import racer]

I never have any luck with the fork bolt so i just take the axle apart at the inner joint.Then do the same for the new axle.

[Bass Man]

I've never had an issue with mine. I guess it's the Anti-rust that Oregon puts out. lol

I couldn't get an axle through the wish-bone without taking that bolt out.

[markmdz89hatch]

I never have any luck with the fork bolt so i just take the axle apart at the inner joint.Then do the same for the new axle.

The only trouble with this is that the bolt is still seized up in the bushing. That bolt needs to be able to float freely inside the bushing sleeve to allow the control arm to do what it's supposed to do. If it's seized up the bushing will actually twist and eventually fail much faster than if it was working properly. ...but sadly most of us are the same boat as you.


I've never had an issue with mine. I guess it's the Anti-rust that Oregon puts out. lol

I couldn't get an axle through the wish-bone without taking that bolt out.

Yeah it won't fit through, but like importracer said, you can disassemble the axle c/v end and pull it through that way.

[LX-incredible]

The only trouble with this is that the bolt is still seized up in the bushing. That bolt needs to be able to float freely inside the bushing sleeve to allow the control arm to do what it's supposed to do. If it's seized up the bushing will actually twist and eventually fail much faster than if it was working properly. ...but sadly most of us are the same boat as you.

I have to disagree. The inner sleeve of the bushing remains stationary. All movement is from the twisting of the rubber. That's why you're supposed to torque the LCA bolts with the car on the ground, somewhat in the center of the suspension travel. With poly bushings the bushing pivots on the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve and bolt shouldn't move on either after being torqued.

Excellent diagram, It'll be a lot easier than trying to explain to someone how to cut and burn that bitch out of there

[carotman]

I'll have to try this on my Civic's rear struts. I'm afraid to do this since it's my daily driver and might leave me stranded hehe.

[stat1K]

i've never had one stuck like broken but i have had it where it didn't want to pull out, i use a bolt slightly smaller and put it on the other end then tap it out with a 3lb sledge... i guess if it's corroded into the bushing this may not work but if it's just broken and you're having trouble pulling it out i wouldn't see why it wouldn't work?

as for pulling the axle when the fork is on, yeah that doesn't work, not even on my civic...

oh and can we change the name of this thread after almost a year since it's still called pickle fork and that is clearly not right? lol...